All posts by Constance Strickland

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet Diana Elizabeth Jordan

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

Diana Elizabeth Jordan is one of the busiest actresses working in L.A theatre, and one of the most beloved and talented comediennes doing work that’s outside the box. Her new show, Happily Ever After, is a prime example of her righteous spirit as she takes us on a glorious, hilarious and heartbreaking emotional rollercoaster to find her “prince charming.” Diana is like a real life princess – chosen by the people, not anointed or given the title through marriage – and hers is a solo show I don’t want to miss! 

Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work? Why Fringe?  Why this year?

Diana: I have been working on Happily Ever After for several years. It started as a short storytelling project when I took a Story Coaching Workshop with Tanya Taylor Rubenstein. It has grown from a ten-minute story into what it is now.  When it comes to producing at the Fringe, my “Why” is” Why Not?” It just felt like the right time. If I have learned anything in the past year and a half, it is that life is so unpredictable.  I was honored with a Diversity Scholarship and the Fringe Staff could not be more welcoming and supportive. I have also surrounded myself with an amazing support system and team including Women of Color Unite founded by Cheryl L. Bedford, my director Paul Kampf, my sound designer Alexander Tovar, my costume designer (aka my mom) and many others. This really is taking a village and I could never do this without them.

Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show?

Diana: I am really enjoying everything, even the most challenging things like finding time to sleep. (LOL) Seriously, though, I think I have been enjoying some of the non-acting things like picking out my props,  and some of the production side of things like creating visual images. It has been fun. For example, I talk about two childhood friends in my show (whose names I changed) and chose not to use their actual pictures, yet I found visual images that kind of remind me of them.

Constance: What has been the most surprising discovery?

Diana: Honestly the most surprising discovery has been learning about the business decisions I have had to make in terms of ticket sales, along with the best use of my limited funds. It really is wearing two hats with completely different goals.  I have also learned a lot about delegation of responsibilities.  I have often served as a Disability Accessibility & Inclusion Coordinator on projects but for my show I’ve handed those responsibilities over to members of my team.

 Constance: And what’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

Diana: My biggest challenge with anything I do continues to be to trust myself.  Like a lot of people, I can be my worst critic. My critic, “Mrs. H.”  (named after a mean music teacher I had as a kid), can be incredibly loud sometimes. I also think it is a challenge to tell my truth in a way that is entertaining. I have been to storytelling events where people just share stories and there is value in that.  But sharing diverse stories is a bridge builder and connector. I am intentionally creating a piece of entertainment. So, the challenge then becomes how do I both share my heart and my truth in a way that is entertaining.   

Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show?

Diana: I am a Black woman who has a disability (cerebral palsy which mildly affects my speech and gait); I am proud of the intersection of my identities. That is not what I focus on, though.  My show is about my journey of finding true love, without the assistance of a fairy godmother or talking mirror like a lot of the princesses had in the fairytales I used to read as a girl.  So I hope audiences members see themselves in the stories I share.

Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

Diana: I have felt every emotion from sheer terror to giddy girl excitement and that has been within this past hour. I was watching a video of my 14-year-old nephew the other day, marveling at how fast these 14 years have flown by and realizing he is going to be a man before I know it. I will just blink, and he’ll be a man. This show feels the same way. The preview and performances still seem so far away yet I know it will be here before I know it – like this week (my first preview). It is a lot to take in so I am just saying my prayers, trusting my faith and taking it moment to moment right now and enjoying the ride.

Constance: Anything Extra? Please Share!

Diana: One of my favorite mantras is “Don’t Step Outside Your Comfort Zone Expand It.” It is one of the mantras I live by. It may not always be easy, but the journey of continuing to expand my comfort zone is worth it.

Diana Elizabeth Jordan (www.dianaelizabethjordan.com) is an actor, solo artist, theater & filmmaker, artist educator and disability influencer. For more information on “Happily After (One Woman’s Journey To Find A True Love)” in #HFF21, visit http://hff21.co/6896 

Click Here For More “Women on the Fringe”

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet Lorinda Hawkins

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

Justice? Or… Just Me?: The Bite is a the first part of a trilogy that examines what justice looks like from the perspective of a Black woman in a violent marriage to a white man. Lorinda takes on a journey that navigates what happens when a woman of color dares to fight back. Yet, we get deeper into the truth of a broken system when the Black woman asks for help. Will the help she receives be what she deserves? Through multi-storytelling techniques, the show leaves us asking and needing to decide if justice is for all… or just some? Lorinda’s character must ask the question, “Is this what justice looks like for everybody? Or just me?”

Constance: Why Fringe?  Why this year? And how long have you been sitting with this work?

Lorinda: For 13 years. I’ve been wanting to have my own show in Fringe since I first experienced Fringe through a friend of mine’s solo show in 2010. After that I was blessed to be in a Fringe show – shout out to Rochester, 1996 –  that won the Golden Key Award in 2018. When I was doing that show, I was actually realizing another dream of performing a 10 minute piece of Justice? Or…Just Me? at REDCAT. I was able to do both the REDCAT Spring Studio and the Rochester performances of Rochester, 1996. But all the while, I was taking notes for when I would be able to do my full length show in the Hollywood Fringe Festival. I tried last year for a scholarship and wasn’t able to get one. This year I was!!!

Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show? 

Lorinda: What I enjoy most is that good or bad, I’ll know that it truly is my dream/vision. 

Constance: What has been the most surprising discovery?

Lorinda: That there are people out there who are happy to help without needing a ton of money.

Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

Lorinda: Finding uninterrupted time and finances.

Constance: And what do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show? 

Lorinda: I hope audience members take away a different perspective on domestic violence. I hope my show triggers an even more in depth conversation about it and real solutions and legislation.

Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

Lorinda: Exhilarating and terrifying.

Extra! Extra! If you have the ability to support an independent artist Lorinda is raising funds via Fractured Atlas and has a new book out on Amazon that is as powerful as her solo show.

 Click Here to Donate

Click Here to Order Justice? Or…Just Me?: The Bite 

For more information on Justice? Or… Just Me?: The Bite in #HFF21, visit  http://hff21.co/6617

Click Here For More “Women on the Fringe”

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet M.J. Kang

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

M.J. Kang s a five time Moth story slam queen who has built a career on turning her personal stories into performative works that remind us all what it means to be human. M.J. has had her work seen on PBS and Risk! Podcast. Her new solo show, THE WINNER,  is revealing, telling and reminds us all that facing our emotions will heal generations.

Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show?  

M.J.: I hope audiences come away with having felt a variety of emotions throughout the piece, have been fully engaged, entertained, laughed a great deal and,perhaps, even cried while watching this show. I am sharing who I am with the audiences and I hope they come away with understanding the experiences I’ve lived and can relate to them, identity with them, even if they look nothing like me. I hope they see the humanity of the experiences I’ve had that comes with always holding on to hope and seeing the positive in some tough situations when I don’t have the answers and I’m just trying my best.

Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

M.J.:  My biggest challenge has been trusting myself that the process can be easy. The piece itself has been guided by structure and instinct – how the pieces fit together to create a show that is entertaining, funny, and deeply felt.

Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show?

M.J. Kang: How different people are affected by my words. I’ve been performing short pieces of my show in various story slams throughout the pandemic virtually, across the US, Canada and London, England. People are still having emotional responses to my words, which has been gratifying. I have enjoyed watching the Zoom boxes of people’s faces as they react and then vote for me to win and I have won quite a few slams:  5 Moth story slams, a Story Collider slam, National Storytellers Network slam and countless others this year. The whole year-long process of creating this piece has been rewarding in many ways – especially to see people’s reactions during a time when we weren’t able to have in-person performances.

Constance: And what has been the most surprising discovery?

M.J. Kang: The most surprising discovery is how easy it’s been to enlist my daughter to play the live music for The Winner. I truly appreciate her willingness to be part of the show and process. Her involvement adds so many wonderful elements to the production and live music creates an emotional ambiance that is irreplaceable.

Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

M.J. Kang: I feel excited to be sharing my full piece to the Fringe audiences. Because I’ve been performing up to 40 minute versions of this piece in different iterations, I am very excited to see the response from a theater going audience. I am excited to be performing on an actual stage and not just in my bedroom against a wall. 

Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work? Why Fringe? Why this year?

M.J Kang: This piece is inspired by my life so I’ve been sitting with this work for my entire being. This piece is a huge reflection of the world I live in and my experiences, including what has happened to me this year. If I hadn’t lived this year, I would not be able to write this piece or perform it. It has immediacy and relevance through a lens of warm positivity. I find I need that in life – to remain positive and hopeful.

For more information on THE WINNER in #HFF21, visit  http://hff21.co/7052

Click Here For More “Women on the Fringe”

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet Kira Powell

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

In CAUGHT IN THE MIX, Kira Powell shares with us an intimate and vulnerable solo piece. As a mixed Black & Latina woman who grows up believing she is white, Kira will take us on a journey through her life as she struggles to find and accept her true identity. Kira’s vulnerability and truth carries us through the hard and painful topics surrounding anti-Blackness; we not only witness her growth towards self love, we go through our own.

Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show?  

Kira: I hope the audience leaves with a piece of my soul and a connection to me and to the rest of their fellow audience members as they each watch and relate to different parts of my story. I hope it brings healing to those who need it.

Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

Kira: To know when to stop writing and to trust that the script is enough!

Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show?

Kira: I am enjoying looking through all of my childhood photos and videos! I am surprised by the amount I keep learning about myself through this process.

 Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

Kira Powell: I’m feeling very vulnerable, but also ready to share my story.

 Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work? Why Fringe? Why this year?

Kira Powell:  I started writing my story during quarantine in 2020 in the forms of essays and a memoir. But in 2021, I evolved it into a one-woman show when I received an email about a scholarship opportunity for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. I took it as a sign that it was time for me to get my show together. I ended up winning the scholarship, and that’s when I knew there was no looking back!

Constance: Anything extra? Please share!

Kira Powell: This was such a challenging but very rewarding process! I can’t believe I put a show together in the amount of time that I had. On top of that, I am healing and sharing my story. I’m so grateful for the opportunity!

For more information on CAUGHT IN THE MIX in #HFF21, visit  http://hff21.co/7054

Click Here For More “Women on the Fringe”

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet Makena Hammond

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

It was a delicious discovery to the spirit to have scrolled upon Makena’s show Black Woman In Deep Water. This solo show is inspired by the incredible true story of  Margaret Garner, a runaway slave, who escaped with her husband, in-laws, and four small children while pregnant with a fifth, only to be recaptured. Faced with a harrowing decision, she takes the life of one of her children rather than allow the child to return to the ills of slavery.

Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work? Why Fringe?  Why this year?

Makena: It’s a project that I was assigned last year as a student of Stella Adler’s Art of Acting studio.  We were to write a 15 minute solo show about a real person.  After performing it, and things not going quite to plan, I decided I hadn’t done the story justice and began to expand on it knowing I had to tell the story again if given the chance.  A colleague of mine who saw my show at the studio said she loved it and thought I should enter it in the Fringe so I looked into it and…here we are! 

 Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show? What has been the most surprising discovery?

Makena: This is my first time producing, writing, and acting in something all in the same go.  It’s also my first Fringe.  Additionally, I’m pretty new to LA.  So let’s just say it hasn’t been a cakewalk. But I’ve enjoyed realizing that contrary to my initial feeling of being somewhat alone in this city, I do have a community of actors/artists that have stepped up to the plate, many without solicitation, to support me and to help me bring forth my vision. I’m generally a person who takes on everything and says “I got it”. But I had to let that nasty habit go because it became overwhelming trying to juggle everything. So I’ve reached out for help and the outpouring of love and support has been tremendous. One day I just sat and cried with gratitude for all the love and support I’ve received with this project.  It’s been really good for my heart.

Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

Makena: I wanted to leave audiences with a sense of hope and empowerment.  But with such a tragic story, I found that very difficult to do.  I wanted to be authentic and honest in the telling of her story, not watering anything down.  So it was like,  how do I tell such a tragic story and still pass on a message of healing and hope, which is what I believe Margaret would want?

Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show?

Makena: I wanted to share a piece of widely unknown history, which I thought, beyond its brutal tragedy, was a powerful story about love.  This play is inspired by the true story of Margaret Garner which, like many slave stories, is often examined from a standpoint of tragedy and victimization.  And while those elements exist,  I wanted to go further than that story to show that she was a woman with cares and worries and deep love and passion. She was a woman trying to reclaim her autonomy as a woman and as a mother.  I think to humanize her beyond her tragedy is to make her relatable to every human.  I think when we see how much more alike we are than different, we realize we can understand each other more and possibly heal the deep hurt of the past.

Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

Makena: There is a certain level of anxiety that comes along with giving it away.  It is a passion project which I’ve been developing for over a year now. It’s my baby!  I’m excited to tell Margaret’s story because I think it’s powerful. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to a certain level of trepidation.    But more than anything else, joy, excitement, and gratitude to have the medium to share something so deeply personal with the world.

 Constance: Anything else? PLEASE Share with us!

Makena: This project is deeply personal to me.  Not only because I wrote it, but because I’ve added elements of West African culture and heritage that have been passed on to me from my Ghanaian family.  I want to share that heritage which I’m extremely proud of and show how it is connected to the American story.  The human story. At first I felt intimidated by the tragedy of her story and wanted to forget about the project altogether.  But as I began to research her,  there were coincidences that kept poking out at me which made me feel almost as if I was meant to tell this story.  For example, Margaret and her husband’s names are the same names of my own parents. When they were arrested they ended up being thrown into Hammond Street jail which is my last name.   They even had a daughter that was born on the exact same day as my sister!  While they may seem benign coincidences to some, I took them as a signal from the universe to be brave; to explore the possible connections between her story and my own.  And I’m glad that I did.

For more information on BLACK WOMAN IN DEEP WATER in #HFF21, visit  http://hff21.co/7193 

Click Here For More “Women on the Fringe”

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet Carla Delaney

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

Worth It! is Carla’s fourth fringe show! A hilarious comedienne who shares her wild talent in this fast paced, award winning musical extravaganza, Carla morphs into over forty characters as she questions her net-worth + self-worth. A show where hope takes the lead is a show we truly need during these disrupted times. 

Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show? 

Carla: I hope the audience walks away with a better appreciation of their own value in our world, and the power they have to change their energy by changing old thought patterns. Oh, and I hope they walk out humming the catchy songs! LOL

Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

Carla: Sometimes I go into “premature polishing mode” when an idea is still hatching. During the writing process, I had to gently remind myself to give my creative ideas room to fully develop on the page before I started editing.

Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show? What has been the most surprising discovery?

Carla: I’m enjoying making myself laugh during rehearsals. Even if I’ve said a line 20 times, sometimes I will hear it in a new way and think, “Son of a gun Carla, that’s funny!”  As far as surprising myself, I’m always surprised by the messages my soul wants to give me. Those messages seem to come out on the page!

Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

Carla: With every show, it feels vulnerable to share. But this time it feels particularly joyful to share because live audiences are finally going to be with us, and not just through a screen.

Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work? Why Fringe?  Why this year?

CARLA: It took me two years to write this show. I think I was hesitant and even a little resistant because “Worth It” talks about money and my family’s relationship with money. For some reason, money seems like a touchy topic. The show also talks about the relationship between our self worth and how that can affect the abundance we let into our lives. The show is fast paced comedy with music videos, but still, these are pretty big themes! Why Fringe? Why not?! Fringe is a fun, creative, supportive wild ride! And Worth It takes place during the pandemic, so it’s incredibly timely right now.

For more information on WORTH IT! in #HFF21, visit  http://hff21.co/7193

Click Here For More “Women on the Fringe”

#FringeFemmes 2021 are Here! Meet Alma Collins

Female Artists, Fringe Festival, playwriting, , , , ,

By Constance Strickland

We know that when there is cultural and racial equality in theatre, it makes room for artists from all walks of life to contribute to the history of theatre. This past year has reinforced what we have been doing at LAFPI – putting women of all kinds first! It is vital that we make space and open doors wider for women from all cultural backgrounds if we are to have a bold, forward thinking American Theatre that reflects America.

I am thrilled to have discovered Alma’s solo show online and hope that you all have a chance to experience Strong like Honey, which stars Alma Collins. This show is a love letter. A daughter recounts her generational relationship with her mother and grandmother and how ultimately becoming caregiver to her mother both challenged and healed their role reversal relationship.

Constance: What do you hope audience members take away after experiencing your show? 

Alma: Just because someone doesn’t love you the way you feel you ought to be loved, it does not mean they don’t love you.  I want people to walk away understanding the power of forgiveness.  Healing and insight does not come from anger or revenge, but sometimes through simply doing what is right, no matter how one feels about a situation.  I hope some of the memories I share about growing up in Venice will bring a smile to those who grew up there.

Constance: What’s been your biggest challenge in terms of your development/creation process?

Alma: The hardest thing I’ve had to overcome is the feeling of “Who wants to hear my story?”

Constance: What are you enjoying most as you create your show? What has been the most surprising discovery?

Alma: That I have so many stories and characters inside me.  Maybe I can do as August Wilson did . . . he kept writing his stories, and through them all there was always a common thread.  I discovered precious memories I’d not thought about in years.

Constance: The work will be given away soon – how does that feel?

Alma: I’m ready and not ready at the same time.  I’m an actress.  I’ve never tried to write anything before.  It feels daunting at times.  “Strong Like Honey” is my baby and I hope people find my baby beautiful.

Constance: How long have you been sitting with this work?

Alma: I began writing “Strong Like Honey” in February 2018.  My friend and mentor, Adilah Barnes, has been trying to get me to write a solo show for years.  I started taking Jessica Lynn Johnson’s free workshops a couple of years ago to learn about solo performances instead of just observing. 

Constance: Why Fringe?

Alma: Why not? Plus it would be amazing to be invited to do my show in Edinburgh, Scotland.  Maybe I’ll meet my Jamie Frasier out there. 

Constance: Why this year?

Alma: I’d planned on doing Fringe last year, but it was cancelled due to Covid. I’m not glad it was cancelled, but I think I’m better prepared this year.

Constance: Please! Anything extra to share?

Alma: Two years ago I did a 15 minute excerpt for Adilah’s “Hot Off The Press.”  I didn’t even have a complete script at the time, just an idea.  A couple of months later, at Jessica’s free Saturday workshop, a woman tapped me on the shoulder and said, “I saw what you did a few months ago and it changed my life.”  Her statement caught me off guard and also reminded me that when we have a gift, we are accountable for what we do with it.  If anything I do or say  encourages someone to forgive, to love, to go on their own journey towards healing, then I’ve done my job.

For more information on STRONG LIKE HONEY in #HFF21, visit  http://hff21.co/6765

Black Woman

playwriting

They say she talks too loud

laughs too hard-

Unable to understand her polyrhythm way of speaking-they call her crazy.

She finds her strength lies not in the discovery of how much she can bear,

No ———-

It reveals itself in the hungry rise and labored tilt of her magnificent crown.

In her dreams she sees the stoic face of her great great great grandmother

In the dark, she hears their wild, rapid call and response chanting as they’re forced onto the auction block.

She finds her strength lies in the tilted arch of her back and the urgent —

fervent step of her walk.

Her superpowers revealing themselves each time she speaks-

her thunderous voice rumbling walls,

In silence ———

upon her face a thousand years reveal many women-

she inhales their quiet pains, absorbs their broken dreams, 

She dances in their  memory, celebrating time and distance

Remembering ——–

She does not fear the long goodbye

instead she embraces the unknown journey with serenity –

welcomes the ride with open arms

Activist Ethel Mae Matthews of Emmaus House
(photo via Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center]

Phase 3: In Continuum

playwriting, ,

by: Constance Strickland

On July 7th, 2020 I sent the first email of three to LA Stage Alliance after I received a forwarded email that was meant to be sent out to members only. As I read the attached letter it seemed to be a letter welcoming discussion, feedback, and opinions – so I sent mine. I never heard back from anyone and this, to me, reflected a lack of resources and a broken system. A system that was not able to hear a wide array of voices nor did it seem to be accessible to share information nor learn more about our expansive theatre community from another perspective.

For the past four years I have been studying, researching, writing, debating + discussing the state of American theatre with a focus on the Los Angeles theatre community. The question I am always left with to ask is: How did a craft that relies so heavily on community and interconnectedness become exclusive? How do we actively create an accessible, available theatre community that makes room for all theatrical talent in Los Angeles to lend their voices to a new American Theatre?

I will say that Independent theatre artists engage in the very act of doing their own work by any means necessary. The very act of self-producing and finding a venue to present their work breaks traditional theatre hierarchies that have been kept exclusive by “Gatekeepers” – and let it be known these “Gatekeepers” are not only affiliated with predominantly white institutions. Power and control manifest themselves in subtle ways and we must beware of their foul intentions in all its many forms and faces. Yet, is there not a way to bridge the gap between academic theatre artists and grassroots theatre artists? Can we find a way to build a theatre community that makes room for trajectory and growth for all local theatre artists? How can we build a community of consistency, where grassroots artists can produce a play at The Complex or The Lounge and have it supported to the next level? It is time we, with love, in love, hold any organization or movement accountable that decides to take on the leadership role of representing the LA theatre community. There should be no lack of transparency nor should there be any fear in holding any organization accountable when it comes to representing the multi-faceted Los Angeles theatre community. It can be easy and engrained to uplift the same voices and ideas but let us not go back to normal and the familiar. Instead, let us honor what time has made way for, and may we rise up together for – a new and better way to build a representative theatre community.

I pose these concerns because I love theatre and I love all the artists I have collaborated with, encountered at theatre shows, as well as the artists I have witnessed on stage, in a variety of performance theatre spaces that often go overlooked. I pose these questions as a form of ritual that is sacred when creating theatre. What does community mean? What does it mean to bridge divides within a community? I always have to go back to Bell Hooks: that empowerment, that activism, that information must be accessible in order for change to truly occur on any level in a community.

Now that LASA has disbanded we find ourselves as a community in ripe times that are not to be taken lightly. We should all be welcoming a fresh slate to the changing and widening landscape that exists in our Los Angeles theatre community. May we lift our voices, show our faces and fight for the type of equity we wish to see in Los Angeles. Can we welcome new ideas, bold actions, and brave visionaries to lead us into creating a powerful, thrilling, and inclusive theatre community? I know we can and are. The time is now.

There is a Town Hall for the LA Theatre community being hosted by a fantastic group, the Joy Jackson Initiative. (There is also a Community Jamboard for members to include their dreams, wishes, hopes, and ideas. You can Click Here to add your voice.) The community meeting will occur on April 13th, 2021 at 6pm PT – TOMORROW!

Link for registering for the Town Hall:

Register on Eventbrite

The email I sent to LA Stage Alliance:

“My name is Constance Strickland. I am Creative Director of Theatre Roscius, an experimental theatre company.

My reason for emailing today is due to my concern over the future of LASA + Ovation Awards.

It is a wonderful gift the Ovation Awards has celebrated L.A Theatre for 45 years but I’m truly concerned about how it excludes half of our Los Angeles Theatre community if you are an Independent Theatre Artist your work goes overlooked. This precedent that has been set ignores half of the Los Angeles Theatre Community and cheats us all of being truly connected and there is no real gage of the wide depth of talent existing in our city. For we all do the work for the love of theatre. We all honor storytelling and understand our theatre lineage must be rooted together if we are truly to build a New American Theatre Theatre for our city.

I hope as the Ovation team takes time away. I hope you see that patterns have occurred with many voices left out. That Los Angeles Theatre has many faces and we all win when artists of all backgrounds, Union or Non-Union are lifted up and welcomed into the L.A theatre community. When a widespread of BIPOC and Independent Theatre Artists of Color are being seen, being really supported then we need not have issues of space rental, membership fees, equity debates. There is no elitism and new work can continue to be developed on high levels to be shared and supported because there is acceptability. For we all know we have an unlimited amount of talent right here in our own front yard.

May the Ovation Team enter the next 45 years as visionaries who have the fortitude to see a new and broader Los Angeles Theatre Community that is not separated- instead is interconnected.”  

Thank you-Have a powerful week,

Constance Strickland”

Phase 2: Endurance

playwriting

by: Constance Strickland

I grew up in the high heat of Arizona. Endurance is a necessary skill needed in order to survive the long summers. I grew up playing + swimming in the community parks. I grew up the only little Black girl in my school between Indian School & Camelback Road. Within those busy roads was a winding street called Lafayette, where I first dreamed of telling stories with my body. I can still remember the age I became aware of the color of my skin from another human’s perspective. I can still remember the awareness of my body’s shape as it took a new form. Its ability to go through space. I soon discovered I would need to find ways to continue in harsh environments. The power ‘to go through’ is sacred, and even now, how I engage physically in space before building a new work has become ritual. 

Endurance. I’ve come to see endurance as unseen magic. It spun itself and filled me up with pure will. Endurance made way for me to manifest Theatre Roscius. I used recycled fuel, my backyard, an old friend during the hottest summer, and I set off to build my first play from the ground up. Since then, I’ve created three new theatre works, three interdisciplinary art pieces, a collection of poetry, four short collage plays, and six short films, all using the body as the vehicle to tell stories that seek to heal the body, mind + spirit of women. Although I’m still learning, still finding my voice, I honor the time – the energy it took to get here, to be in this moment right now. 

I thank endurance for saving me from myself, for pushing me on days when I didn’t think I could continue. I thank endurance for giving me the courage and the energy to build an anthology of work that is innovative, intimate, and reflects the women in my community who often go unseen. I thank endurance for giving me space to take risks.

Endurance. An old flame. A skill I harnessed. I swear, when hope and courage aren’t enough, I’ve learned endurance is magical adrenaline that will see you through, helping you go through even when you feel you’ve run out of fuel to continue.